I See My Beauty

Lauryn

Lauryn had always struggled with seeing her worth. Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies dominated her thinking, and therefore, her life. She was able to keep things more or less under control until her best friend committed suicide.

“Every mental issue I had became exacerbated tenfold. I started sleeping whenever I wasn’t at work, and taking pills to get through my work day. I began losing weight dramatically and it took me a long time to realize what was actually happening.

Finally, a friend asked Lauryn to sit down and write out the things that were causing her anxiety. Once Lauryn wrote it out, it was clear that her anxiety was deeply rooted and it manifested around issues with food, her weight, and the struggle for control of her body.

That is when Lauryn found the Eating Recovery Program at HopeSparks.

“When I came to HopeSparks, I felt like I was being held together with Elmer’s glue and Scotch tape, at risk of collapsing into a million pieces at any moment.”

Lauryn began treatment for restrictive eating with her dietitian, Lisa. At first, Lauryn was hesitant to trust Lisa and physically and emotionally struggled to comply with her treatment plan. A bond slowly formed as Lauryn felt supported in her struggles, rather than chastised for her failures.

“I began to feel the safety that HopeSparks provided. When I began counseling with Maureen, along with continuing to see Lisa, I truly felt their support lifting me up. I learned the roots of my disorder. I learned to be mindful of my thoughts and where they were truly coming from – my insecurities, my depression, my anxiety. I learned to look at myself in the mirror and see the beauty in myself and my body.”